Spirit's Fate
by TobiVision
Summary: The battle has been through. All the arrancar except for Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and Stark have been wiped out, and the three Arrancar Officers are still alive. Ichigo is dead, and Orihime has to choose between Sosuke, Ulquiorra, or Grimmjow.


**Spirit's Fate**

**Chapter One - Don't Cry**

_talk to me softly  
there is something in your eyes  
don't hang your head in sorrow  
and please don't cry  
i know how you feel inside i've  
i've been there before  
somethin is changin' inside you  
and don't you know_

She lost everything after the fight. She had lost the two men she loved the most; Ichigo and Ulquiorra. She could barely remember the fight, although one thing about it made her proud. She was able to help her friends. Most of the time she felt like she was only a burden to them, but this time she proved herself to Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and Ichigo. Ichigo... Just the sound of his name brought happy memories to her. A smile drew across her visage as she reminisced.

_don't you cry tonight  
i still love you baby  
don't you cry tonight  
don't you cry tonight  
there's a heaven above you baby  
and don't you cry tonight_

_He was only walking distance away from me, yet if I came any closer to him... I would have probably __fallen off the pillar that I was standing upon. A quiver as I spoke. "Kurosaki-kun?" He didn't look at me, only at the Arrancar in front of him. "Itsygo..." The child-like voice of Nel reached my years, yet... he still did not move. His gaze never leaving Grimmjow._

_"Sorry..." Ichigo's voice reached me as I continued to stand there, an arm lifting as it crossed over my stomach. "Are you scared?" I felt a gasp escape my lips as I looked down at the ground, and then back up to him. His voice was different. It had an echo to it. "I guess telling you to relax won't help much when I look like this." My grip around my stomach tightened slightly. "But let me say it anyway. You can relax now." Another gasp left my lips, and my expression became troubled._

_No one spoke, but laughter wavered over to where I was standing. Grimmjow-kun was finding this hilarious, or was he? "Yes. This is what I was waiting for." Oh... He was just excited about something he was waiting for. I couldn't see him well from where I was located, but I could tell that it had something to do with sword. It was similar to Kurosaki-kun's but only slightly. That's when I felt it. A large wind, and the feeling of dread. What had caused the wind, and the feeling was none other then Grimmjow. What was he doing? Activating his sword, like Kurosaki-kun did once?_

_"Inoue. Use your Santen Kesshun to guard yourself and Nel from here on." I continued to gaze at him as he spoke. "Don't let it down, even for a second!" The dirt and dust that rose continued to spin around violently, my gaze not leaving Kurosaki-kun. "Now!" My eyes widened. "S-Santen Kesshun, I reject!" After I spoke the words, a triangular shield formed in front of Nel and I._

_The debris cleared, and he lifted his zanpakutō. I flinched at the sound of a scream. It wasn't that of a human but that of a panther. That's when I saw him. Long sky blue hair, green ears, claws and the tail of a feline. He had transformed into a monster as well. I didn't see what happened next as they were both gone, and I made sure that Santen Kesshun still stood, protecting both Nel and I from any harm. They both returned to my sight, but they were in the air fighting. Kurosaki-kun was streaking towards the ground, Grimmjow still in mid-air not moving._

_More dust came rising in the sky, and the same laughter as before could be heard. Was Kurosaki-kun alright? He had to be if they were still fighting... Still... I was scared that I would lose him. My gaze never left the fight as another explosion sounded. "I-Itsygo." Nel's voice reached me once more, although it sounded quiet. "Kurosaki-kun..." The fight continued. 'Is that really Kurosaki-kun?' The thought ran through my head as I grew frightened._

_I could spy small objects heading towards us as I heard him shout my name. He came in front of the shield, taking the hit from the objects. My gray orbs widened as I gazed upon him. "I-Itsygo!" His eyes narrowed slightly as he shot back down to the fight. 'I can't be afraid. I can't... be afraid.' An image of my brother as a monster flashed passed my eyes, along with Kurosaki-kun in his mask. 'When I think of those eyes, it feels like Kurosaki-kun's turned into a completely different person. Like Kurosaki-kun can't see me at all.' My head lowered when I thought this. I lifted it slightly. 'They're just like Onii-chan's on that night.' My grip tightened again. 'Kurosaki-kun!'_

_"E-even with his mask, Itsygo's still gettin' pushed around... Back in his fight with Dordonii-sama and den wit Ulquiorra-sama... Itsygo always beated everyone up when he put his mask on. Itsygo was always invinstible when he had his mask on. But now... Itsygo is getting beated up!" I was fighting back the tears that I knew was coming. Nel was right, although I hadn't seen the first two fights. "G-Go, Itsygo!" I looked over at her. "Go, Itsygo!" Nel looked at me. "C'mon, whats wit you!? You should cheer for him, too!"  
__  
"Huh?" "Don't say, 'Huh?'! Itsygo's out der fightin' for you!" I leaned away from her. "Why're ya acting like yer afraid of Itsygo?! Didn't you say Itsygo's a nice person!? Well yer right! Nel tinks he's nice, too! Itsygo's so nice, when he heard Ulquiorra-sama say yer name, he charged right at him!" Tears started to form in her eyes. "Itsygo is a human! But den he became a Shinigami, an' even put on dat mask, and used dat dangerous power! There's no way Itsygo isn't gettin' hurt! He's gotta be sufferin'! But Itsygo is usin' his powers and getting injured all 'cuz he's fightin' for you! What's-! What's gonna happen if ya don't cheer for Itsygo!?"_

_Tears ran down Nel's cheeks as realization hit me. What __**would**__ happen to him if I didn't cheer for him. 'That's right. At first I came here because I wanted to protect everyone. I thought I hardened my resolve. But when I heard that Kurosaki-kun and everyone came to save me, somewhere deep in my heart, I was so happy. When I saw that mask and Kurosaki-kun's eyes, and how they looked like Onii-chan's eyes that night, I got scared. I even thought that he may not have come to save me after all. But I was wrong. Everyone came to save me... even though they didn't have to!' My gaze remained on Ichigo. 'I... I'm not afraid of Kurosaki-kun. But I'm afraid that Kurosaki-kun will...' I turned. "Don't die. Don't die Kurosaki-kun!"_

_Tears started to flow down my cheeks. "You don't have to win. You don't have to keep trying. Just don't get hurt anymore please."  
_

_give me a whisper  
and give me a sign  
give me a kiss before you  
tell me goodbye  
don't you take it so hard now  
and please don't take it so bad  
i'll still be thinkin' of you  
and the times we had...baby_

Orihime lifted her head. She didn't want to remember any more. Her cheeks were moist from the tears she didn't know was escaping. The only memory she could remember of Ulquiorra was the time she had slapped him. To him it probably meant that she hated him. To be honest, she did at that time, but now... Now that he was gone... She just couldn't stand on her own two feet any more. Grinding her teeth together, Orihime didn't fight the tears that were now streaming down her visage. She didn't care if appeared to weak at this point. She had lost all those worth fighting for.

Her head dropped again, her eyes closing. She didn't want to believe that they were both gone, that at least _one_ of them was still alive. She would give anything for at least to hear they're voice. She felt the tears continued flowing down her cheeks. Orihime felt someone approach her, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. She flinched slightly, but never opening her eyes to see who it was.

**"What are you crying about... woman?"**

_and don't you cry tonight  
don't you cry tonight  
don't you cry tonight  
there's a heaven above you baby  
and don't you cry tonight_

_**Lyrics © Don't Cry - Guns 'n' Roses**_


End file.
